Selfless Choices
by changingdestiny40
Summary: Due to the severe threat that Thawne poses and because he's on the verge of escaping justice, Barry, Iris, and their daughter Nora come to a hard, but ultimately necessary, decision regarding their family, one involving annulment. (No happy ending for West-Allen as a couple here but everyone involved is respectful and unanimous)


**While I Iike West-Allen, Arlyss Tolero made a very interesting point in one of his latest fics entitled "The Flash: This Is Thawne!" If Nora was never born, then Thawne won't have anyone to help him escape and he'll get what he deserves. The idea intrigued me and so I've decided to try my own take on that point. **

**This won't be a West-Allen happy ending but will have everyone being civil and respectful towards each other as they make a difficult but necessary decision.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own "The Flash".**

Barry, Iris, and their daughter Nora from the future sat at the table of their apartment, the mood very somber.

"As we know, all of us have just realized that Thawne has been making a fool out of us these last few months and using you Nora to do it", Barry began as he addressed his daughter.

"You're right dad, and I still can't believe what an idiot I was and am truly, so very sorry by working with our family's mortal enemy while taking his claims of repentance and redemption at face value. I was wrong and now we're in trouble", Nora replied, still ashamed of herself.

"We know you are honey and I'm glad you realize that now", Iris said to her, reaching out and giving her daughter's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"Anyway, I've been doing some thinking after something in particular you said Nora. Do you remember what it was?", Barry asked her.

Nora thought for a moment, and it came back to her.

"Yeah dad, I do. I remember saying that if I'd never been around then Thawne wouldn't have been able to use me", she answered, and then her eyes widened in realization. "Are you suggesting that if something were to happen in the present that prevents me from being born then I might not be around in the future for Thawne to influence?"

Iris was the one to answer her.

"Yes sweetie, that's exactly what we're saying. Neither I nor your father want to lose you but we all have to make sacrifices in life, including the hardest ones of all. Therefore vent though we care deeply for each other, we've discussed this thoroughly and have decided that it'd be best for us to bring our marriage to an end. It's clearly the only way to stop Thawne and as I said earlier, sacrifices must be made no matter the cost."

"You're still our daughter Nora and therefore you deserve to have a say in this and that's why we'd like to hear your thoughts and wishes", Barry continued from where Iris had left off, and then both parents sat back and waited.

Nora thought about everything her parents had just told her and considered. She couldn't say that the idea of being erased from existence was appealing or that her entire life would never be written, that her past, present, and future would no longer matter. She however thought about everything she'd read in the historical records of her time and how so many legendary superheroes, such as the first Firestorm, her own father, and so many others had sacrificed themselves for the greater good.

Even Roy Harper, formerly Arsenal, had sacrificed his freedom and reputation for a time to save Oliver, the real Green Arrow.

Heroes made sacrifices, sometimes bigger than others, but that's what made them heroes and helped magnify their selflessness and if Nora was going to follow in her father's footsteps and the footsteps of his friends, then she needed to be prepared to make the hard choices when called upon.

Plus Thawne was incredibly dangerous and had done nothing but cause trouble across different timelines and even on other worlds. The supervillain was also greatly responsible for the tremendous amount of damage and casualties that almost destroyed Central City during the Crisis when he helped lead the Anti Monitor's forces and he had continuously made her family's life hell at one point or another.

Nora knew that Thawne needed to be stopped once and for all and that he was on the verge of being stopped but there was still the chance of him escaping since she'd allowed herself to be duped into helping him. Of course there was also the option of not destroying Cicada II's dagger but while Thawne would be no more, thousands of meta-humans would be slaughtered and neither she, her family, nor the team were going to allow that. Therefore the solution, as heartbreaking as it was, was nevertheless simple. She never be born, and Thawne will never escape but due to the mysterious workings of the time stream that even she did not understand, her parents would still remember meeting her and her idea to use the weapon she'd created to destroy the dagger.

She also knew that her sacrifice would be no less valuable since it would lead to the removal of not one, but two, murderous and psychotic villains from the timeline while, in turn, saving thousands of lives. Plus it might go a long way towards redeeming herself before her loved ones here in the present after the mess she'd made by trusting Thawne. Having finally come to a decision, she addressed her parents.

"You're both right. Thawne does need to be stopped no matter the cause, and my existence is the reason he could escape though that's only because of actions that I took due to trusting him. I don't want him to escape though and want him to face justice for everything he's done just as much as you do. Both he and Grace need to be stopped as soon as possible and this is clearly the only way.

"Not only that, but it's been my dream to be a superhero since I was young and even more so when I found out you were the Flash dad. But in order to truly embrace being a hero, I have to embrace all aspects of it including self-sacrifice for the good of others, especially if it involves saving countless lives. I have to do my part just as other legendary heroes have done their parts. Plus I've lived a full life, gotten to enjoy being a hero both in my time and here with you guys, got to know all of you and especially you mom and dad, running with the Flash. And while I'll be heartbroken that I'll never find love or get the chance to marry and have kids, I've still lived a great and fulfilling life.

"Therefore I choose to go with your plan and allow myself to be erased from existence to stop both Thawne and Grace, and if you guys have to annul your marriage to do it, then so be it."

Barry and Iris listened to everything Nora said and were pleased with her words, though it was also bittersweet since she'd never, as she said, fall in love and marry, which broke their hearts, and they quickly took her in an embrace.

"We know Nora, and we're both very sorry about that but there truly is no other way and I'm glad you realize that and are so willing to help us", Barry said to his daughter with a smile.

"And please know honey that your sacrifice will always be remembered and that in our eyes, you truly are a hero. Our hero", Iris added with a gentle smile, continuing to hold her while stroking her hair. Nora smiled with gratitude and tears in her eyes.

"Thanks mom, thanks dad. That really means a lot", she said to them and hugged them some more. She then got up and went to her own room to mentally prepare for what was coming while Iris addressed Barry.

"Listen Bar. Before we get this done, I'd like to apologize to you for certain things I've done wrong in our relationship. I'm so sorry for practically forcing you into couple's therapy then using it to rant my case at you while you were forced to listen, not fully understanding or appreciating your sacrifice of needing to go into the Speed-Force to save our city, and I'm also sorry for breaking things up between us right after we'd lost my brother, particularly in the insensitive fashion I did it considering the circumstances.

"And while I'm happy to be alive and not dead at Savitar's hands, I'd also like to apologize in case focusing on me during that time did not give either of us, and you especially, enough time to spend more quality time with our friends and help them when they needed help considering that Cisco had just lost his brother and Caitlin was struggling with her Killer Frost alter ego. We should've been there for them more and I think it was insensitive on both of our parts to have almost neglected them so.

"Finally, while I can't remember this due to you rewriting the timeline though you told me about this, I'm so, so sorry for directly or indirectly sabotaging your relationship with Linda during Marion's reign of terror in the other timeline and if I've ever, in the past, directly or indirectly sabotaged your relationships with other women even though that's something I cannot remember since it's been so long. I truly cannot remember if I have but I'm still sorry if I ever did so. Oh, and I also apologize for talking about how handsome other men are, something which made you uncomfortable."

Barry sighed at her words, and took her hand in his.

"Thanks Iris, and I actually appreciate your words. I'm not free of guilt here though and I'd also like to say that I'm very sorry to you as well for the times I tried to sabotage your relationship with Eddie and how much I've disrespected it, and I'm sorry if I've ever done the same in regards to your relationships with other men over the years and before Eddie. And I'd also like to apologize if any of my actions towards you years earlier and throughout our lives, due to my strong interest in you ever made you uncomfortable."

"I appreciate that, and I forgive you, though in regards to you making me uncomfortable I cannot remember that. But thanks anyway. I do love you and always will but this is clearly the best way in order to stop Thawne for good and am ready to accept that", Iris replied confidently.

"I love you to, but you're completely right, and this is for the best in order to stop our mortal enemy. And as for your apologies, I forgive you as well", Barry said to her, both of them assured and settled in their decision.

Following this, the two of them went ahead and did all that was necessary in filing for an annulment, putting together all of the necessary paperwork and going before a judge. The judge presiding over the case and asking if they were certain and of sound mind, to which they responded that they were while Nora stood nearby and offered them both silent support. Their respective lawyers also spoke on their behalf and helped them with the process, which all in all was a smooth transition. Soon everything was settled and their marriage was pronounced as completely annulled, ending their lives as husband and wife.

Plus, while it was already understand, they firmly agreed to always keep their relationship platonic no matter what for the remainder of their lives while wishing each other the best in finding love again.

With these changes having been made and everything settled, Nora would very shortly afterwards find herself disintegrating as she was slowly erased from existence and allowed herself to give into it while her parents stood with her and held her tightly in their arms, comforting her, until she was no more.

Thawne, meanwhile, realized from the future what had happened and screamed loudly in fury, leveling curses at Barry, Iris, and Nora for outsmarting him in this manner. It did not matter or do him any good as his cruel guards took him and blasted his body into atoms.

After Thawne was gone for good, Team Flash then put Nora's plan in motion and destroyed Grace's dagger, also erasing this version of her from the timeline, saving thousands of meta-human lives, and also, in turn, provided her younger self with a brighter, non-villainous future.

As for Barry and Iris, they did find love again. Barry would reconnect with his ex girlfriend Patty Spivot, who'd returned to Central City, and they'd fall in love all over again while developing an even stronger and deeper relationship than they'd had in the past and would eventually lead to marriage.

Iris on her part founded the _Central City Citizen _and expanded it, becoming the head of her own media empire while thriving as a journalist and reporter. And she was nothing but always fair and correct towards her employees, only firm with them when she had to be, but ultimately treated them like equals and like family while always making them feel welcome.

She later appointed a young, Caucasian reporter who'd joined her team and had years of experience to serve as her editor in chief to help ease the workload. Then as time passed, they fell deeply in love with each other, began a happy, committed, and deeply loving relationship while marrying and having children of their own, a boy and a girl.

Barry continued being the Flash, helping his city while also surviving the Crisis since his friend Oliver had given his life to save both his and Kara's lives, and he mourned his friend but also did his best to honor that sacrifice. And both he and Iris remained confident in their decision to end their marriage since it had been the only way to stop Thawne and the menace he'd been to their family, not to mention that it gave all of them and their city a better future and selflessness is what truly makes a hero.

**The End**

**A/N Regarding Iris's apology about sabotaging Barry's other relationships, some anti Iris and anti West-Allen fans have accused her of doing that, but in my years of watching this series I don't remember seeing anything like that, with the exception of Barry and Linda's relationship that is, or even a reference to it. They had to have had a good reason for accusing her of that though and that's why I added it to her apology.**

**I also never personally felt the impression that Barry had behaved like a stalker when first pursuing Iris but decided to reference it in Barry's apology to her since that's how some fans saw his behavior. **

**As for Iris marrying a Caucasian man, I did that because I did not want to be subjected to bullying and accusations that I was a racist and a traitor just because I broke up an interracial couple and paired Barry with a white woman and might've paired Iris with a black man. And so Iris's new husband is also white.**

**Please let me know what you thought of this one shot.**


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